


A Soft Leaf

by Haganeko (dainpdf)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Rigel Black Chronicles
Genre: Boomslang Venom, Gen, Juicy Mouse, Soft Leaf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 08:08:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26848675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dainpdf/pseuds/Haganeko
Summary: The tale of how Treeslider met a Speaker and obtained a great, soft treasure for his nest.
Relationships: Rigel Black & Treeslider
Comments: 29
Kudos: 74
Collections: Rigel Black Exchange Round 2





	A Soft Leaf

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aoi588](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aoi588/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Pureblood Pretense](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/39096) by murkybluematter. 



Treeslider moved through the underbrush as silently as he could. The forest was beginning to chill, at this hour, and movement helped him keep his body warm.

He darted our his tongue. A cacophony of smells reached him from all around: flowers, herbs, dew... but no prey. No soft flesh to sink his fangs into and keep his stomach full. At least he did not smell any predators—not that he expected any, so close to the forest edge.

A noise reached him from far away. Speech. An oddly accented snake, perhaps an outsider. Just what he needed: more competition. Nothing to do but warn the newcomer away. Treeslider followed the sound, which moved away quite quickly. A larger serpent, perhaps? This was starting to seem like a bad idea.

Just as he was considering turning back, the sound began to once again grow closer, and Treeslider could make out the speech:

“Can anyone hear me? I desssire to ssspeak to a sssnake, pleassse. If you can hear me, pleassse come and ssspeak to me. I have a niccce juicccy moussse here for any sssnake kind enough to come and ssspeak with me…”

The cadence was hard to place. Treeslider darted out his tongue, even as he followed. The smell was not that of a snake; it was that of a human. A Speaker! Treeslider had heard legends, of course, but never expected to meet one! He redoubled his efforts to chase after this Speaker, clamouring: “Wait ssspeaker! Don't ssslink off ssso fassst! I am coming, and I want the moussse!”

This was his chance! The tales spoke of great gifts given by Speakers to their followers. A nice, juicy mouse would be a great boon to his evening.

Treeslider managed to catch up to the Speaker just at the edge of the forest. This Speaker was young and short—much shorter than the large forest-tender, or even the humans who sometimes frequented the forests to mate. Much more importantly, though, they smelled of mouse.

The human crouched, eyeing Treeslider with those large, expressive eyes humans had.

“You are the ssspeaker?” Treeslider asked.

“Yesss,” came the answer. The Speaker shifted, as if cowering. Treeslider felt more confident; so even the Speaker knew this was _his_ territory, and was showing appropriate deference. “You are a boomssslang sssnake, are you not?”

“Yesss,” he responded, “I am. Where isss the moussse?” He could not see it, which could only mean the Speaker had hidden it somewhere—perhaps in the folds of that long, loose skin humans always carried with them.

The speaker exhibited their fangs as a warning, though it was unnecessary; Treeslider had no wish to antagonize them. They pulled out a white leaf, in which a mouse was wrapped. Quite a boon! But it must be negotiated for.

“It doesss not look very juicccy,” Treeslider demurred, putting as much doubt as he could in his voice. “I am hungry, ssso I will eat your scrawny moussse, but in the future you will need more tempting offeringsss,” he added.

"Forgive me,” the Speaker said, once again expressing much politeness, “I wasss unsssure of what would be acceptable. Do you have a name that other sssnakesss call you?”

Treeslider was quite pleased with this turn of events. Such a polite Speaker, and one who brought a nice gift! It was enough to make him suspicious.

“I am Treessslider. Who are you, ssspeaker?”

“I am Rigel,” the Speaker said. “If I give you this moussse, will you ssstay here and ssspeak with me?”

Wait. “Ssstay forever?” Treeslider prepared to retreat. There was the trap!

“No, not forever,” Speaker Rigel responded. “Jussst for a few minutesss. I have a favour to asssk you, that isss all.”

Treeslider eyed them warily for a moment. The mouse was quite tempting, as was the promise of more in the future, and Speaker Rigel had been quite polite, but the risks... he approached again.

“Very well. Give me the moussse now, and I will ssstay to hear your requessst.” If worse came to worst, he could take the mouse and refuse their request.

Speaker Rigel placed the leaf with the mouse on the ground, so Treeslider slithered towards it, encircling his prize protectively. He was surprised to find the leaf quite soft, smooth, and warm. Treeslider had never encountered its like. Was this a display from Speaker Rigel? A show of what they could provide, if even their smallest gifts were wrapped in such sumptuous packages?

Treeslider looked at them, waiting for them to speak their request.

“I wasss hoping you could give me sssomething of yoursss that you don't need any longer,” Speaker Rigel said. “A bit of old ssskin, or perhapsss a few loossse ssscalesss.”

Treeslider was puzzled. What could Speaker Rigel want with those? He thought the request over, trying to think what harm could come of it. Finding nothing, he asked: “If I give you sssomething, what isss in it for me?”

“What do you wisssh, Treessslider?” Speaker Rigel asked.

“I wisssh to keep thisss sssoft leaf,” he answered immediately. Best to negotiate down from the greatest prize.

“Sssoft leaf?” Speaker Rigel repeated. They did not sound angered by the outrageous request, just confused, so Treeslider nudged the treasure.

“Thisss,” he said, courageously. “I wisssh to put it in my nessst.”

“Of course,” Speaker Rigel answered.

Treeslider could not believe it. Could it be? A pleased hiss escaped him as he contemplated his luck. This leaf would make a great addition to his nest, especially when the cold times came again. This posed a problem, though: Treeslider had no old scales or skin he could give. For the soft leaf, he might be willing to give some of his skin, but...

“Mussst I give you ssscalesss or ssskin? I have nothing old or loossse, but I can give you my poissson inssstead.”

Speaker Rigel stopped for a moment, then said: “Sssure, whatever isss mossst convenient for you.”

“It isss interesssting to be asssked for sssomething inssstead of chasssed for it,” Treeslider said. And so it was; Treeslider could get used to it.

Speaker produced a small, shiny rock with a bark cover, which Treeslider pierced. He dripped venom into it, even as he thought over the trades he had made. A mouse, even if a scrawny one, plus a very nice addition to his nest. And this Speaker was so polite, too!

“Thanksss, Treessslider, I mussst return to the cassstle now, ssso enjoy your sssnack.”

“I know your ssscent now, ssspeaker,” Treeslider told them. “Next time you are in the foressst, I will ssseek you out, ssso you better have a bigger moussse.” He looked forward to it.


End file.
